Karate cap

ABSTRACT

A Karate Cap is disclosed for use as both a head cover and as a defense weapon. The Karate Cap has a visor with an outer edge. A crown has a center point and an outer edge. The visor is secured to the crown along a portion of the outer edge and extends from the crown. The crown has an inner surface and an outer surface. An impact disk is mounted generally at the center point on the outside surface of the crown and the impact disk being circular and made from a hard dense material with a diameter in the range of three quarters of an inch to one and a quarter inches and with a thickness in the range of three sixteenths of an inch to five sixteenths of an inch. An outer disk cover is located over the impact disk opposite from the outside surface of the crown. The outer disk cover is circular. An inner disk cover is located on the inside surface of the crown. The inner disk cover is circular. The inner disk cover is secured to the inside surface of the crown. The inner disk cover and the outer disk cover are sewn together into the crown.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to caps worn on the head and, more specifically, to caps that also may be used as a karate weapon.

2. Prior Art

Caps of the general type utilized by this invention are well known and widely used. Some of the existing caps, commonly referred to a baseball caps, have a button covered with cloth and attached to the top center point of the cap. Such a button is essentially ornamental and is comparatively small and thin.

The use of an article of clothing as a weapon has previously been taught in the McKenna Patent, U.S. Pat. No. 4,126,902 issued on Nov. 28, 1978. McKenna, however, does not involve a cap but rather relates to a belt. The belt has a chain section between two strap sections. At the end of one strap section is a buckle. By winding the section without a buckle about the hand, the buckle section can be whipped against an assailant causing obvious injury. If the belt is worn loose, free of belt loops, quick deployment might be possible. However, if held within belt loops, ready deployment would be virtually impossible.

OBJECTS

The objects of this invention are to provide as follows:

-   -   1. A readily accessible karate weapon that is virtually         undectable.     -   2. A cap that serves both as a cap as well a karate weapon.     -   3. A karate weapon that is economical.     -   4. A karate weapon that is dependable.     -   5. A karate weapon that can not be readily used by an assailant         against the one wearing the karate cap.

These and other objects of the invention, as well as many of the intented advantages thereof, will become more readily apparent when reference is made to the following description taken in conjuction with the accompanying drawings.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A Karate Cap for use as both a head cover and as a defense weapon is provided. Such a Karate Cap has a visor and a crown. The crown has an outside surface and an outer edge and has a center point. The visor is secured to a portion of the crown along the outer edge of the crown. An impact disk, which is circular and formed from a hard dense material, has a diameter of at least three quarters of an inch and has a thickness of at least three sixteenths of an inch. An outer disk cover is located over the impact disk and is secured to the outside surface of the crown.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a pictorial view of the cap showing the visor and the crown of the cap with an cipact disk at the centerpoint of the crown.

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view along line 2-2 of FIG. 1 showing the impact disk secured to the top of the crown of the cap.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE NUMERALS

NUMERAL DESCRIPTION 11 Visor 13 Crown 15 Impact Disk 17 Center point 19 Outer Edge 21 Inside Surface 23 Outside Surface 25 Crown Sections 27 Crown Section Seams 29 Outer Disk Cover 31 Inner Disk Cover 33 Cushion

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now to FIG. 1, the Karate Cap is shown and, as with other caps, in general, has a visor 11 and a crown 13. In addition, the Karate Cap has an impact disk 15 at the center point 17 of the crown 13.

The visor 11, as is well known, extends from the crown 13. The visor 11 has an outer edge 19 extending around it from the crown 13. The visor 11 is securely sewn to the crown 13 at the outer edge 19. The crown 13 has an inside surface 21 which is directed toward the head of a wearer and is opposite from an outside surface 23 which is exposed to the weather. The crown 13 is dome-shaped and extends from the center point 17 to the outer edge 19. The outer edge 19 is generally circular. The crown 13 is made from a flexible material usually a strong cloth. The crown 13 is usually formed from crown sections 25. The crown sections 25 are sewn along crown section seams 27 which extend from the outer edge 19 to the center point 17 of the crown 13. The crown sections 25 when sewn together form the crown 13. The need for strongly sewn crown section seams 27 is particularly important with the Karate Cap as compared to a regular cap. Strong crown section seams 27 are necessary to provide body to the Karate Cap when used as a karate weapon.

Referring now to FIG. 2, the impact disk 15 is shown. The impact disk 15, which is circular, is located on the outside surface 27 of the crown 13 at the center point 17 of the crown 13 where the crown sections 25 come together at the center point. Substantially, the center of the impact disk 15 is located on the center point 17 of the crown 13. An outer disk cover 29, which is also preferably circular, is placed over the impact disk 15 on the side of the impact disk 15 opposite from the crown 13. The outer disk cover 29 is sewn to the crown 13 about the periphery or outside edge of the outer disk cover 29 securely to hold the outer disk cover 29 to the crown 13. Beneath the impact disk 15 and on the inside surface 21 of the crown 13 is an inner disk cover 31. The inner disk cover 31 is located against the head of anyone wearing the Karate Cap. The inner disk cover 31, which also is preferably circular, is sewn about its periphery to the crown 13.

Between the inner disk cover 31 and the inside surface 21 of the crown 13 is a cushion 33 to provide added material between the impact disk 15 and the inner disk cover 31. Thus, added material prevents some one wearing the Karate Cap on their head from inadvertently striking their head and inadvertently causing discomfort with the impact disk 15 when placing the Karate Cap on their head. The outer disk cover 29, the cushion 33, are all preferably circular and of a substantially similar size and are all sewn together onto the crown 13.

The impact disk 15 is crucial to the sucessful operation of the Karate Cap. Preferably, the impact disk 15 is substantially one inch in diameter and one quarter inch thick. More generally, the impact disk 15 is in the range of three quarters of an inch to an inch and a quarter in diameter and with a thickness in the range of three sixteenths of an inch to five sixteenths of an inch. These ranges provide a discreet appearance and adequate bulk to inflict sufficient discomfort to an assailant.

The material from which the impact disk is made can vary. It must be a hard material that does not break on impact. Rattan and Oak are suitable. A laminated impact disk is also a practical solution. Metals, such as aluminum, also are suitable either alone or as one part of a laminate.

Use of a Karate Cap is simple. When the assailant's hand or wrists are exposed, the Karate Cap is whipped off the head. The Karate Cap is held by the visor. The outside surface 23 of the Karate Cap and the impact disk 15 is forcefully struck preferably against the wrist and, in the alternative against the hand. The impact disk 15 causes a sharp disabling pain which stops the assailant for a sufficient time for the person wearing the Karate Cap to escape.

It is understood that the drawings and the descriptive matter are in all cases to be interpreted as merely illuistrative of the prinjciples of the invention, rather than as limiting the same in any way, since it is contemplated that various changes may be made in various elements to achieve like results without departing from the spirit or the invention or the scope of the appended claims. 

1. A Karate Cap for use as both a head cover and as a defense weapon, such Karate Cap comprising: a visor; a crown having an outside surface and an outer edge and having a center point, the visor being secured to a portion of the crown along the outer edge of the crown, the crown further including an inside surface and an inner disk cover on the inside surface of the crown and being aligned with the outer disk cover; an impact disk being circular and formed from a hard dense material and having a diameter of at least three quarters of an inch and having a thickness of at least three sixteenths of an inch; an outer disk cover located over the impact disk, the outer disk cover being secured to the outside surface of the crown at the center point.
 2. (canceled)
 3. A Karate Cap according to claim 1 wherein the crown further includes a cushion located between the inside surface of the crown and the inner disk cover.
 4. A Karate Cap according to claim 1 wherein the impact disk has a diameter in the range of three quarters of an inch to an inch and a quarter.
 5. A Karate Cap according to claim 1 wherein the impact disk has a thickness in the range of three sixteenths of an inch to five sixteenths of an inch.
 6. A Karate Cap according to claim 1 wherein the impact disk has a diameter in the range of three quarters of an inch to an inch and a quarter and wherein the impact disk has a thickness in the range of three sixteenths of an inch to five sixteenths of an inch.
 7. A Karate Cap according to claim 1 wherein the impact disk has a diameter of substantially one inch and a thickness of a quarter of an inch.
 8. A Karate Cap according to claim 1 wherein the impact disk is made from rattan.
 9. A Karate Cap according to claim 1 wherein the impact disk is made from oak.
 10. A Karate Cap according to claim 1 wherein the impact disk is made of aluminum.
 11. A Karate Cap for use as both a head cover and as a defense weapon, such Karate Cap comprising: a visor; a crown having a center point and an outer edge, the visor being secured to the crown along a portion of the outer edge and extending from the crown, the crown having an inner surface and an outer surface; an impact disk mounted generally at the center point on the outer surface of the crown, the impact disk being circular and made from a hard dense material with a diameter in the range of three quarters of an inch to one and a quarter inches and with a thickness in the range of three sixteenths of an inch to five sixteenths of an inch; an outer disk cover located over the impact disk opposite from the outer surface of the crown, the outer disk cover being circular; and an inner disk cover on the inside surface of the crown, the inner disk cover being circular, the inner disk cover and the outer disk cover and the inside surface of the crown being sewn together into the crown.
 12. A Karate Cap according to claim 11 wherein the crown is formed in sections secured together along seams extending from the center edge to the center point.
 13. A Karate Cap according to claim 11 having a cushion located between the inner disk and the inside surface of the crown.
 14. A Karate Cap for use as both a head cover and as a defense weapon, such Karate Cap comprising: a visor; a crown having a center point and an outer edge and being formed in sections secured together along seams extending from the outer edge to the center point, the visor being secured to the crown along a portion of the outer edge and extending from the crown, the crown having an inner surface and an outer surface; an impact disk mounted generally at the center point on the outside surface of the crown, the impact disk being circular and made from a hard dense material with a diameter in the range of three quarters of an inch to one and a quarter inches and with a thickness in the range of three sixteenth of an inch to five sixteenths of an inch; an outer disk cover located over the impact disk on the outside surface of the crown, the outer disk cover being circular; an inner disk cover on the inside surface of the crown, the inner disk cover being circular; and a cushion located between the inner disk cover and the inside surface of the crown, the inner disk cover and the outer disk cover being sewn together into the crown. 